This is a discourse
on the difference between soul and spirit, as
described in the Scriptures. The requirements
for salvation of each are different, and must be
understood separately to properly understand the
Bible. The warning about perishing in the
Scriptures always refers to the soul or the
body, and never the spirit. All of the
warnings in Scripture are warnings to
spiritually regenerated people. This
includes all of the warnings about dying or
perishing. This is a difficult concept for
Christians to understand due to the false
paradigms resulting from misinformation
disseminated by many of the Churches. The
primary reason for this misinformation is the
failure of preachers and teachers to understand
the difference between soul and spirit. Man is a
tripartite being created in the image of the
Living God, Who is a Trinity. The idea
that the soul and the spirit of man are one and
the same is no more true than the idea that God
the Father and God the Holy Spirit are the
same. God exists in Three Persons in union
and so does man. The spirit of man is that
which was born of God in man. The
regenerated spirit of the Christian is alive and
in perfect submission to the Holy Spirit.
It can never perish any more than God the Father
can perish. The spirit of man is analogous
to God the Father as far as man being created in
the image of God. The spirit of a
Christian is born of or comes from God, so it
can never sin. The following Scriptures
are referring to this new spirit nature that is
born of God:(1 Pet 1:23 KJV) Being born
again, not of corruptible seed, but of
incorruptible, by the word of God, which
liveth and abideth for ever. (1 John 2:29 KJV) If ye know that
he is righteous, ye know that every one that
doeth righteousness is born of him. (1 John 3:9 KJV) Whosoever (i.e.,
whatsoever) is born of God doth not commit
sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he
cannot sin, because he is born of God.(1 John 4:7 KJV) Beloved, let us
love one another: for love is of God; and
every one that loveth is born of God, and
knoweth God. (1 John 5:1 KJV) Whosoever
believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of
God: and every one that loveth him that begat
loveth him also that is begotten of him.
(1 John 5:4 KJV) For whatsoever
is born of God overcometh the world: and this
is the victory that overcometh the world, even
our faith. (1 John 5:18
KJV) We know that whosoever is born of
God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of
God keepeth himself, and that wicked one
toucheth him not. As stated
above, the spirit of the Christian can never
perish. Consequently, the spirit of the
Christian is eternally secure, and it would be
absurd for the Word of God to warn us about a
condition that cannot possibly happen. In a similar
vein, the spirit of the unregenerate person is
already dead, so it can never perish or die
either, since it is already dead. The only
way for a spiritually dead person to be made
alive is for the Holy Spirit to regenerate that
person. It is the work of the Holy Spirit
to regenerate people, and it is not by the will
of man that this happens: (John 1:12 KJV) But as many as
received him, to them gave he power to become
the sons of God, even to them that believe on
his name:(John 1:13 KJV) Which were born,
not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh,
nor of the will of man, but of God. Telling
unregenerate people that they have just got to
get born again spiritually is about as
meaningless as going to the morgue and
attempting to convince one of the cadavers to
exercise his will to come alive and stand up and
walk. To place this
in perspective, we must understand that we come
into contact with numerous people. These
people are either spiritually alive or
spiritually dead, and we do not know the living
from the dead in most cases, and we are even
deceived in some cases where we think we do
know. The Holy Spirit is constantly
regenerating people spiritually, and we do not
know when this happens or to whom it
happens. We think this happens when a
person has a spiritual experience, repents of
his sin and starts following the Lord as a
disciple. The truth is that this person
may have been spiritually regenerated as a
child, and has just now been brought to
repentance. The fact remains that we do
not know for sure when or who is spiritually
regenerated. There are tares in the Church
who pretend and act just like Christians, but
the fact is they are spiritually dead. Every human
being whether he is spiritually dead or
spiritually alive is a soul. The soul is
our identity as a person. It is our will,
emotions, personality, desires, intellect, and
everything we are as a person. At birth,
in addition to being spiritually dead, we have a
depraved soul or life that follows the old
fallen nature. There is no one more
selfish or self-centered than the newborn
babe. Everyone is born into sin so the
soul, life or person is in a fallen state.
Consequently, when a person is born again
spiritually, his soul or life is still in a
depraved or fallen state, just as the body is
still in a fallen or depraved state. When
we are born again spiritually our body continues
to age, and it will eventually die since it has
not been redeemed. The same is
true for our souls. The soul of the person
who has been born again spiritually is still in
a fallen state, and it is controlled by the old
fallen nature that is still in the born-again
individual. It is necessary that the soul
be renewed in accordance with the desires and
wishes of our new spirit nature. Now here
is where the will of the spiritually regenerated
man comes into play. Until a man is born
again spiritually, his will is in bondage to the
old spirit nature, which is in a fallen or
depraved state. This means his soul is in
bondage to the old spirit nature, and he cannot
extricate himself from this bondage. Once
the Holy Spirit regenerates a person
spiritually, the will is also released from
bondage, and this person can choose to follow
Christ. This means that the Christian has
the freedom of choice to follow the old soulical
nature that is still within him, or he can
follow the new spirit nature that has been born
in him. The decision to follow this new spirit
nature is called repentance, which requires
dying to the old self (i.e., soul) and rising
again in newness of life (i.e., a new soul or
life that follows Christ). Water baptism is a
picture of dying to the old soul or old life,
and rising again in a new soul or new life.
Thus, the commandment to the newly
spirit-regenerated person is "Repent and be
Baptized." The order in Scripture is always
believe, repent, and be baptized.
Spiritual regeneration and the resulting belief
in Jesus Christ as the Savior is by grace and
grace alone. It is the gift of God, and no
man can claim credit. Repentance and
Baptism are works and our success in doing this
in our Christian lives will be judged at the
Judgment Seat of Christ. Our lives or
souls will either come through the testing fire
intact or they will perish or be
destroyed. The following passage of
Scripture depicts this judgment by fire: (1 Cor 3:9 KJV) For we are
labourers together with God: ye are God's
husbandry, ye are God's building.(1 Cor 3:10 KJV) According to the
grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise
masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and
another buildeth thereon. But let every man
take heed how he buildeth thereupon.(1 Cor 3:11 KJV) For other
foundation can no man lay than that is laid,
which is Jesus Christ.(1 Cor 3:12 KJV) Now if any man
build upon this foundation gold, silver,
precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;(1 Cor 3:13 KJV) Every man's work
shall be made manifest: for the day shall
declare it, because it shall be revealed by
fire; and the fire shall try every man's work
of what sort it is.(1 Cor 3:14 KJV) If any man's
work abide which he hath built thereupon, he
shall receive a reward.(1 Cor 3:15 KJV) If any man's
work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss:
but he himself (i.e., the same one) shall be
saved; yet so as by fire.(1 Cor 3:16 KJV) Know ye not that
ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit
of God dwelleth in you?(1 Cor 3:17 KJV) If any man
defile the temple of God, him shall God
destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which
temple ye are. I would like to
state at this point that millions of Christians
are totally confused on this point as to whether
a person has the ability or freedom of will to
follow or choose Christ. This is the
argument between the Calvinists and the
Arminians, the Freewill Baptists and the
Hardshell or Primitive Baptists, Spurgeon and
the Wesley’s, and the original doctrine of the
Southern Baptists as opposed to the Methodists
and present day Southern Baptists. There
is an element of truth in the doctrine of all of
these groups of Christians, but there is also a
great deal of error in all of their
teachings. This error is due to a
misunderstanding of the difference between the
soul and the spirit of man, and the fact that
the Bible is written to the people of God.
Consequently, all warnings in Scripture pertain
to the souls of spiritually regenerated people,
and not to the unregenerate. Therefore,
all warnings about perishing pertain to the
souls of the regenerate, and not the spirits of
the unregenerate. Likewise, all warnings
about destruction and death are to the
regenerate, and not the unregenerate. Even
the Scriptures used by Christians to persuade
people to “get born again” are for people who
are already born again. Since the idea
that a Christian’s soul can perish is foreign to
most, we will begin with some clear Scriptures
that should be easily understood, and progress
to the Scriptures that will be difficult for
Christians to understand because of the existing
paradigms, mental sets or models that Christians
have already established in their minds.
This simply means that once a Christian has
understood a Scripture one particular way, it is
more difficult for him to see the real meaning
of the Scripture, than if he had never
understood the Scripture at all. An important
concept to understand before we commence with
the Scriptures on the perishing of the soul is
the concept that the souls of all Christians
must perish at some point in time. We can
either choose to lose our souls now, or we can
wait until the Judgment Seat of Christ and lose
them then. However, there are severe
consequences for waiting until the Judgment Seat
of Christ. Jesus Himself addressed this
concept in the following Scripture: (Mat 16:24
KJV) Then said Jesus unto his
disciples, If any man will come after me,
let him deny himself, and take up his cross,
and follow me.Please note
that Jesus
is talking to His disciples. The
warning that Jesus is about to give is for the
regenerate. He states that they must deny
or utterly disown themselves, and that they must
take up the cross and follow Him. The self
is the soul, and Jesus is telling His disciples
that they must reject the soul or person that
they are, and to follow or to come into union
with Him. This means that they are to live
in the same way as He lives. The only way
they can do this is to kill the old self, which
is the soul, and to live the life of
Christ. Numerous other Scriptures tell us
how to do this. The cross is an instrument
of death, and we are to kill our old self or
soul. He is telling us to kill the old
person or nature that is in us, and to allow
Christ to live His life in us. If we do
this now, the new souls or persons that we are
when we get to the Judgment Seat of Christ will
not perish or die, and we will receive great
reward. This is the essence of the
following verses: (Mat 16:25 KJV) For whosoever
will save his life (soul) shall lose it: and
whosoever will lose his life (soul) for my
sake shall find it.If the
regenerate person continues as the same person,
life or soul that he now is, then his life, soul
or person will be lost when he gets to the
Judgment Seat of Christ. However, if the
person is willing to reject the soul or person
he now is by crucifying this old flesh nature,
then the new person he becomes as a result of
allowing Christ to live in him will not be lost
at the Judgment Seat of Christ. The word
for “lose” in both instances in the above verse
is the Greek word for destroy or perish. Simply stated,
this verse states that the soul or life of a
regenerate person must either perish now, or
it will perish at the Judgment Seat of Christ.
(Mat 16:26 KJV) For what is a man
profited, if he shall gain the whole world,
and lose his own soul? or what shall a man
give in exchange for his soul? Jesus continues
His explanation of the salvation or loss of the
soul at the Judgment Seat of Christ. It is
important to understand that the Judgment Seat
of Christ is not for the purpose of determining
who enters into heaven. It is for the
purpose of judging the lives or souls of
Christians for the purpose of reward or
chastisement. In this verse, Jesus states
that the Christian who lives according to the
old self or soul will “lose his own soul” when
the time for judgment comes. Jesus then
makes the point through the use of a rhetorical
question that there is no profit for a person to
gain the wealth of the whole world and lose his
own soul at the Judgment Seat of Christ.
He then brings it down to a more realistic
situation and asks what a man will give up or
lose to save his own soul. Esau gave up
his soul or inheritance for a bowl of
stew. Reuben gave up his soul or
inheritance for sensual pleasure with his
father’s concubine. The parallel passage
in Mark 8:36-38 is even more tragic. (Mark 8:36-38 KJV) (36) For what
shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the
whole world, and lose his own soul? (37) Or
what shall a man give in exchange for his
soul? (38) Whosoever therefore shall be
ashamed of me and of my words in this
adulterous and sinful generation; of him also
shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he
cometh in the glory of his Father with the
holy angels. Many Christians
will lose their souls (i.e., perish) at the
Judgment Seat of Christ simply because they were
ashamed to be associated with Christ and His
Words. These are the ones described in
Rev. 21:8 as being fearful to exercise their
faith. They are Christians, but they are
too embarrassed to speak up for Christ or the
Word of God. (Mat
16:27 KJV) For the Son of man shall
come in the glory of his Father with his
angels; and then he shall reward every man
according to his works. This summation
verse shows that the whole passage pertains to
rewards at the Judgment Seat of Christ, and not
whether a person goes to heaven or hell. Now that we
have seen that it is regenerated people whose
souls will perish, and this simply means that
they will change from people of a depraved
character and state into a people of a different
state. The following passage of Scripture
confirms that the current heavens and earth will
also perish, or be changed or transformed from
one state of being under the curse to a state of
redemption and freedom from the curse. This verse also
gives us the Biblical definition of
perish. It means to be changed from one
state into another state. (Heb 1:8-12 KJV) (8) But unto the
Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever
and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the
sceptre of thy kingdom. (9) Thou hast loved
righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore
God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the
oil of gladness above thy fellows. (10) And,
Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the
foundation of the earth; and the heavens are
the works of thine hands: (11) They shall
perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall
wax old as doth a garment; (12) And as a
vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they
shall be changed (i.e.,transformed or made
different): but thou art the same, and thy
years shall not fail. The above verse
helps us to understand that the Biblical
definition of the word perish means to be transformed.
Thus, the person who has been spiritually
regenerated must allow his soul to be
transformed into a person who is controlled by
the Holy Spirit. The following passage of
Scripture speaks of this transformation: (Rom 12:1-2
KJV) (1) I beseech you therefore,
brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye
present your bodies a living sacrifice,
holy, acceptable unto God, which is your
reasonable service. (2) And be not conformed
to this world: but be ye transformed by the
renewing of your mind, that ye may prove
what is that good, and acceptable, and
perfect, will of God. Our body is
what is used to manifest or display our
lives. Our souls or lives are lived in our
bodies, and other people know what we are as
persons by the actions of our bodies. What
comes out of our mouths in the form of speech
manifests that which is in our hearts or
minds. The work that we do is manifested
by our hands, and our walk in the flesh or the
spirit is manifested by our legs and our
feet. Our bodies are the mediums through
which we live our lives. The soul of a
person is reflected in the actions of the
body. Consequently, when we present our
bodies as a living sacrifice, we are losing our
souls, and our selves are transformed by the
renewing of our minds. The mind is one
aspect of the soul. Paul is explaining how
we must devote our bodies to the service of the
Lord in order to save our souls at the Judgment
Seat of Christ. If we do this now in our
Christian life, then our souls will not perish
at the Judgment Seat of Christ. On the
other hand, if we do not do this now, our souls
will perish at the Judgment Seat of Christ, and
we will experience the death of the soul. Please remember
that the spirits of regenerates can never die or
perish, and the spirits of unregenerates are
already dead, so the death or perishing of the
spirit is never addressed in Scripture as a
future event. The Scriptures only address
the perishing or death of the body or the
soul. It must also be remembered that the
Greek word for perishing also means destruction.
The following Scriptures confirm that
destruction only pertains to the soul and the
body: (Mat 10:28 ASV) And be not afraid
of them that kill the body, but are not able
to kill the soul: but rather fear him who is
able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
In this verse
Jesus is addressing
his disciples and he tells his
disciples not to fear Satan and his emissaries
who are able to destroy the body, but they
should fear God, who is able to destroy both
body and soul in the Lake of Fire. Thus,
Jesus is warning spiritually regenerated people
that they need to fear the destruction of their
souls in the Lake of Fire. The loss of the
soul in the Lake of Fire is confirmed in this
same passage just a few verses down as follows:
(Mat 10:37-39 ASV) (37) He that
loveth father or mother more than me is not
worthy of me; and he that loveth son or
daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
(38) And he that doth not take his cross and
follow after me, is not worthy of me. (39) He
that findeth his life (i.e., soul) shall lose
it; and he that loseth his life (soul) for my
sake shall find it. (Mat 5:28-30 ASV) (28) but I say
unto you, that every one that looketh on a
woman to lust after her hath committed
adultery with her already in his heart. (29)
And if thy right eye causeth thee to stumble,
pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is
profitable for thee that one of thy members
should perish, and not thy whole body be cast
into hell. (30) And if thy right hand causeth
thee to stumble, cut it off, and cast it from
thee: for it is profitable for thee that one
of thy members should perish, and not thy
whole body go into hell. In this
Scripture, Jesus is using figurative language
related to the body as the instrument acting on
behalf of the soul, life or personality.
The right eye is the dominant eye and it
determines the input into the mind, which is one
aspect of the soul. The eye has been
described as the window to the soul. The
right hand is the dominant member of the body
that pictures the works that a believer
performs. In this figurative parallel
between the body and the soul, the failure of
the mind to be renewed because of the input
through the eye into the mind, the works
performed by the hand does not profit the
believer. The end result is the whole
body, as representative of the soul, is cast
into or destroyed by the Lake of Fire.
This whole dissertation by Jesus on the works
that believers should perform after the new
birth experience is summed up in verse 46 as
follows: (Mat 5:46 ASV) For if ye love
them that love you, what reward have ye? do
not even the publicans the same? This summation
verse confirms that Jesus is addressing the
judgment of the works of believers for the
purpose of rewards, and not the eternal destiny
of their spirits. To Perish Or Not To
Perish (Part II) We have been
talking about the Scriptural warnings about
perishing or being destroyed, and how this
warning pertains to either the soul or the
physical body of man. It is not speaking
of the spirit of man, and it has nothing to do
with entering into heaven or hell. To
perish or not to perish is in reference to
believers, and it pertains to the loss at the
Judgment Seat of Christ. The only people
who will be at the Judgment Seat of Christ are
Christians. We will now
continue with some Scriptures that are clearly
in reference to believers perishing, and then go
on to some more difficult ones that are thought
by most to be in reference to
unregenerates. (1 Cor 8:11 KJV) And through thy
knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for
whom Christ died? This verse is
in reference to a strong believer causing a
weaker Christian to stumble and perish.
Please note that this weaker brother is a brother
and that Christ died for him. He is a
Christian as confirmed in the following verse:
(1 Cor 8:12 KJV) But when ye sin
so against the brethren, and wound their weak
conscience, ye sin against Christ. This verse
reiterates the fact that this person is a
brother, and he can perish because of his
weakness in the faith. The following
passage of Scripture is addressing the perishing
of our soul now so the life of Jesus may be
manifested in us. (2 Cor 4:8 KJV) We are troubled
on every side, yet not distressed; we are
perplexed, but not in despair;(2 Cor 4:9 KJV) Persecuted, but
not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;(2 Cor 4:10 KJV) Always bearing
about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus,
that the life also of Jesus might be made
manifest in our body. The above
verses portray the persecution of Christians and
the dying of self in these Christians so that
the life of Christ might be made manifest in our
bodies. This is confirmation of the truth
that our spirits are saved by the death of
Christ, but our souls are saved by our dying to
self and allowing Christ to live his life in
us. Please note the conditional phrase
“might be made manifest”. (2 Cor 4:11
KJV) For we which live are always
delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that
the life also of Jesus might be made
manifest in our mortal flesh.This verse
repeats the thought that we who are living the
life of Christ must continue to die to the
old nature. If we are successful in this
death of the old self, then the life of Jesus is
made manifest in our bodies of flesh. The
conditional “might
be made” is repeated for emphasis. The
dying to self and living the life of Christ is
not a certainty, even though we have been saved
spiritually. (2 Cor 4:12 KJV) So then death
worketh in us, but life in you.(2 Cor 4:13 KJV) We having the
same spirit of faith, according as it is
written, I believed, and therefore have I
spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak;(2 Cor 4:14 KJV) Knowing that he
which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up
us also by Jesus, and shall present us with
you.(2 Cor 4:15 KJV) For all things
are for your sakes, that the abundant grace
might through the thanksgiving of many redound
to the glory of God. This passage
continues the exhortation to die to self so that
when we are resurrected, the abundant grace or
divine influence upon our hearts might result in
the worship of many people superabounding
(redound) to the glory of God. (2 Cor 4:16 KJV) For which cause
we faint not; but though our outward man
perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by
day. The summation
of this passage is that our dying (perishing) to
the outward man (i.e., the old man or flesh
nature) must take place in order for the “inward
man” to be renewed day by day. All of this
passage is in reference to the losing of the old
soul or old man, so the new soul or new man will
be manifested and saved at the Judgment Seat of
Christ. (2 Cor 4:17
KJV) For our light affliction, which
is but for a moment, worketh for us a far
more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;

The end
result of our work of dying to self is
the receipt of a superabundance of glory
for the eternal age. Simply put,
our bearing of light affliction now will
result in a superabundance of glory for
the ages. This light affliction is
to allow our old man to perish so the
new man in us will result in a
superabundance of glory to God. As
a consequence, we will share in this
glory that Jesus will receive.

The Death of the
Soul The Scriptures
use another word for the perishing of the soul,
and that word is the Greek word thanatos,
which is translated death. Jesus Himself
ties the word thanatos
with the soul in the following Scripture:
(Mark 14:34 KJV) And saith unto
them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto
death: tarry ye here, and watch. In this verse
Jesus is employing hyperbole—a figure of
speech—to make a point that his soul was in such
anguish that it was near unto death, but Jesus
establishes that the soul can die or
perish. The word thanatos (i.e., death) is
most often employed in connection with the death
of the body, but it is sometimes used in
connection with the death of the soul as in the
above instance. The following Scriptures
pertain to the death, or perishing of the soul,
and they are in reference to Christians, as the
context of the verses establish. (John 8:51 KJV) Verily, verily, I
say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he
shall never see death. Jesus is
stating here that the believer who keeps His
Word will never experience the death of the
soul. Please note that keeping the Word of
Jesus is works, and it is works that will keep
the soul from dying. This statement by
Jesus confused the Jews, cause they were
thinking in terms of the body dying. This would
be ludicrous, since everyone will die
physically—if the Rapture does not occur
first—whether one keeps the sayings of Jesus or
not. (Rom 6:3 KJV) Know ye not, that
so many of us as were baptized into Jesus
Christ were baptized into his death?(Rom 6:4 KJV) Therefore we are
buried with him by baptism into death: that
like as Christ was raised up from the dead by
the glory of the Father, even so we also
should walk in newness of life.(Rom 6:5 KJV) For if we have been
planted together in the likeness of his death,
we shall be also in the likeness of his
resurrection: The use of
death in each of these three verses pertains to
the death
of the soul. This passage of
Scripture is referring to the death of self in
order for Christ to live His life through
us. The Christian’s soul must perish now
in order to have his soul saved at the Judgment
Seat of Christ. The following
verse very clearly warns Christians against the
possibility of soul death if they serve sin in
their lives: (Rom 6:16 KJV) Know ye not, that
to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey,
his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether
of sin unto death, or of obedience unto
righteousness? If the
Christian obeys the sin nature in his life, he
will suffer soul death. If he is an
obedient Christian, he will experience
righteousness of character, and his soul will
not die. (Rom 6:21 KJV) What fruit had ye
then in those things whereof ye are now
ashamed? for the end of those things is
death.This verse also
speaks of soul death as the end of living a life
in accordance with the sin nature. The
fruit of such a lifestyle is the death of the
soul. (Rom 6:23 KJV) For the wages of
sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal
life through Jesus Christ our Lord.This verse also
reiterates that the payment for a life of sin is
the death of the soul. The Christian has a
choice to make. He can live in accordance
with the old nature and die, or he can live his
life in accordance with the life of Christ, and
he will attain unto or lay hold onto eternal
life. Eternal life pertains to the soul
and not the spirit. The fruit of
death is also shown in the following verses:
(Rom 7:4 KJV) Wherefore, my
brethren, ye also are become dead to the law
by the body of Christ; that ye should be
married to another, even to him who is raised
from the dead, that we should bring forth
fruit unto God.(Rom 7:5 KJV) For when we were in
the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by
the law, did work in our members to bring
forth fruit unto death. Please note
that these verses are warnings to Christians
about bringing forth fruit unto death, and the
death is the soul, and not the body or the
spirit. In the
following verse, Paul even uses himself as an
example where sin can work death in him: (Rom 7:13 KJV) Was then that
which is good made death unto me? God forbid.
But sin, that it might appear sin, working
death in me by that which is good; that sin by
the commandment might become exceeding sinful.
The following
Scripture provides the option that a Christian
has in that he can be carnally minded or
spiritually minded, but the result is either
death or life, and this death or life is in
reference to the soul. (Rom 8:5 KJV) For they that are
after the flesh do mind the things of the
flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the
things of the Spirit.(Rom 8:6 KJV) For to be carnally
minded is death; but to be spiritually minded
is life and peace. An accurate
paraphrase of the above passage is as follows:
(Rom 8:5-6 LMV) For Christians
that live according to the flesh nature that
is within them do strive after the things that
this flesh nature desires, but Christians that
live according to the spirit nature that is
within them strive after the things that the
spirit nature desires. For to be
thinking on things of the flesh nature will
result in the death of the soul, but to be
thinking on things of the spirit nature will
result in the salvation of the soul and a
tranquil state of mind. (Rom 8:7 KJV) Because the carnal
mind is enmity against God: for it is not
subject to the law of God, neither indeed can
be. Because the
mind that is set on fleshly things is in
opposition to God, for it does not obey the
commandments of God, for it is incapable of
obeying God. (Rom 8:8 KJV) So then they that
are in the flesh cannot please God. So Christians
that live according to their flesh nature cannot
please God. (Rom 8:9 KJV) But ye are not in
the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that
the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man
have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of
his. But ye
Christians are not living according to the flesh
nature—but the spirit nature—if the Holy Spirit
is actively living in your life. Now if
any Christian does not have the mind of Christ,
he is not one with Christ. (Rom 8:10
KJV) And if Christ be in you, the body
is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is
life because of righteousness.But if Christ
is living His life in you, your body is dead
because of sin, but your spirit produces life
(i.e., soul life) because of Righteousness.
(Rom 8:11 KJV) But if the Spirit
of him that raised up Jesus from the dead
dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from
the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies
by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.But if the
Spirit of God that raised Jesus from the dead is
alive and active in you, then God will also make
your mortal bodies alive by this same Spirit
that is alive and active in you. (Remember that
the body is that which manifests soul life).
(Rom 8:12 KJV) Therefore,
brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to
live after the flesh. Therefore,
Christian brothers, we are not obligated to the
flesh nature to live according to the flesh
nature. (Many Christians do live according to
this flesh nature, but they do not have to live
according to it.) (Rom 8:13
KJV) For if ye live after the flesh,
ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit
do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall
live. For if you live
according to the old flesh nature within you,
then your soul will die (i.e., perish), but if
you through the power of the Holy Spirit put to
death the deeds of the body (i.e., kill the soul
or die to self), then your soul will live and
not perish at the Judgment Seat of Christ.
(Rom 8:14
KJV) For as many as are led by the
Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.For those who
are guided by the Holy Spirit in their lives,
they are the mature sons (i.e., huios) of
God, and not the immature children (i.e., teknon) of
God. We will look at
two additional verses in James that speak of the
death or perishing of the souls of Christians.
(James 1:15
KJV) Then when lust hath conceived, it
bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is
finished, bringeth forth death.This verse is
addressing the Christian who allows lust to
spring up in his life, and this lust brings
forth sin. If this sin is allowed to grow
to maturity in this person, it will in the end
cause the soul of this Christian to die or
perish at the Judgment Seat of Christ. (James 5:19 KJV) Brethren, if any
of you do err from the truth, and one convert
him;(James 5:20 KJV) Let him know,
that he which converteth the sinner from the
error of his way shall save a soul from death,
and shall hide a multitude of sins. Verse 19 above
is needed to confirm that this is a Christian
who is caught away into sin. If another
Christian brings him back into the correct path,
then that Christian who brought him back saved
his soul from death. This one passage
establishes without doubt that a Christian can
perish or die at the Judgment Seat of Christ,
and this death is of the soul or life, and not
the spirit. The spirit nature within the
Christian can never die or perish, but the soul
or life of a Christian can perish. If a
Christian’s soul perishes at the Judgment Seat
of Christ, this results in the loss of reward
and glory in the coming kingdom. The
Christian will still be in heaven, but without
any authority in the kingdom. To Perish Or Not To
Perish (Part 3) Eternal Life—The
Opposite of Perishing The phrase
eternal life is probably the most
misunderstood phrase in all of Scripture.
It comes from the Greek words aionios zoe
or zoe
aionios, and these Greek phrases are
translated in the Scriptures as eternal life,
life eternal,
or everlasting
life. The phrase is used 44 times
in the New Testament, and it has the same
meaning every time that it is used.
Tradition has given several meanings to the
phrase, but the most common meaning is that the
person who has eternal life will go to heaven,
and not hell, when he dies. Part of the
traditional meaning holds that all Christians
have eternal life, and they will never
perish. The primary Scripture for this
traditional belief is John 3:16 as follows: (John 3:16
KJV) For God so loved the world, that
he gave his only begotten Son, that
whosoever believeth in him should
not perish, but have everlasting
life (i.e., aionios zoe, or eternal life).It is important
to note that the “should” is conditional.
The
Christian
should not perish, but he might. The word
“believeth” is pisteuo, and the second
definition of this Greek word is to entrust
one’s spiritual well-being to Christ. This
is more than believing and accepting that Jesus
died for our sins. It means to allow
Christ to live in us. This is works.
Eternal life requires works, and the Scriptures
confirm this many times, but it must be
remembered that “eternal life” and “going to
heaven” are not the same thing. As is true with
most of the traditional interpretations of
Scripture, the traditional understanding of the
definition of eternal life is grossly in
error. First, it should be made clear that
a Christian is someone who has been regenerated
spiritually. The Christian’s spirit has
been made alive by the work of the Holy
Spirit. Repentance was not a requirement
for this regeneration to take place. It
was the Holy Spirit’s work, and the individual
had nothing to do with it. Repentance is a
work that a person can perform after he has been
spiritually regenerated. When a person
is spiritually regenerated, he is given the gift
of faith, and he believes in the Lord Jesus
Christ. This simply means that the person
believes that Jesus’ death on the cross was the
payment for that person’s sin. In
addition, it means that this individual will
most certainly be in heaven, and when he is in
heaven, he will be like Jesus Christ. This
means that he will be a perfect individual who
will be sinless, perfect and complete.
This individual will be in perfect health with a
perfect body, and he will be totally and
completely obedient to God. He will be
totally controlled by his new spirit nature,
which was born of God when he was spiritually
regenerated. This is the final state of
all Christians, but there is more. There
is much more than most Christians realize.
It is very
important for the reader to see the final state
of all Christians. The following Scripture
is true: (Phil 1:6
KJV) Being confident of this very
thing, that he which hath begun a good work
in you will perform it until the day of
Jesus Christ:All of these
things that represent the final state of the
Christian are wonderful, but they are not part
of the Biblical promise of eternal life.
Eternal life pertains to the soul of man, and
not to his spirit. Eternal life also
pertains to the Christian’s behavior, and the
rewards for that behavior. It does not
mean going to heaven, and it does not mean
having a conscious existence forever.
Every person, saved and unsaved, will have a
conscious existence forever, either in heaven or
hell. The opposite
meaning of eternal life in the Scriptures is to
perish. Since eternal life pertains to the
soul and not the spirit, to perish also has
reference to the soul of man and not the
spirit. It should be remembered that the
soul is the life of a person. It is his
will, character, personality, intellect, and
emotions. It is who the person is as an
individual. All Biblical references to
eternal life pertain to this person and his
life, and not to his spirit, which is perfect
since it comes from or is born of God.

Since
eternal life and perishing pertain to the soul,
it should not be difficult to understand that
all Christians will either have eternal life at
the Judgment Seat of Christ or they will
perish. The truth is that many Christians
will perish at the Judgment Seat of
Christ. This truth will now be shown from
the Scriptures. As with all
Scriptural terms, we must seek the definition of
these terms in the Bible. The definition
of eternal life is clearly and unequivocally
given in the following Scripture: (Rom 2:7
KJV) To them who by patient
continuance in well doing seek for glory and
honour and immortality, eternal life:
In this
Scripture, “eternal life” is in apposition to
the phrase “glory and honour and
immortality.” In other words, “glory and
honor and immortality” is the Biblical
definition of eternal life. This Scripture
further confirms that eternal life is something
that the Christian seeks after “by patient
continuance in well doing.” This is work.
Glory, honor
and immortality are the reward for living a life
that is under the control of the Holy
Spirit. Eternal life is something that the
believer strives for in his life. It is
attained by being filled with the spirit, and
sowing to our spirit nature rather than our
flesh nature. This is confirmed in the
following Scripture: (Gal 6:8
KJV) For he (i.e., the Christian) that
soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap
corruption (i.e., destruction); but he that
soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit
reap life everlasting (i.e., eternal life or
aiones zoe). A quick
reference to the context of the above verse
confirms that the writer is warning
Christians. Only Christians have the
ability to sow to their spirit natures.
The Christian who sows to his flesh nature
instead of his spirit nature shall reap
corruption. The transliterated Greek word
for corruption is phthora, and it means that the
Christian who sows to his flesh nature will be
destroyed, or that he will perish. The
person who sows to his flesh nature will lose
his soul since he will be totally changed by
Jesus Christ at the Judgment Seat of Christ, and
he will be a totally different person. He
will not receive glory, honor or
immortality. He will not share in the
inheritance of Jesus Christ, and he will not be
honored in the kingdom. The person he was
will cease to exist (i.e., perish), and he will
not have immortality. He will still be in
heaven, and he will still be made perfect, but
he will lose all of his rewards. He will
not receive a position in the kingdom of Jesus
Christ. Since the individual did not
attain to glory, honor, and immortality, he will
not have eternal life in the kingdom. The following
are a few Scriptures that further define the
meaning of eternal life in the Scriptures:
(1 Tim 6:12 KJV) Fight the good
fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life,
whereunto thou art also called, and hast
professed a good profession before many
witnesses. This Scripture
confirms that eternal life is something that we
attain to by fighting the good fight of faith in
order to lay hold on eternal life.
Fighting is working. This Scripture
confirms that eternal life is according to works.
(1 Tim 6:18-19 KJV) That they do
good, that they be rich in good works, ready
to distribute, willing to communicate; (19)
Laying up in store for themselves a good
foundation against the time to come, that they
may lay hold on eternal life. This Scripture
confirms that if we do good works and store up
for ourselves a good foundation, we will attain
to eternal life. The only way we can lay
up a good foundation is to have Jesus Christ
live his life through us. The only good
foundation is that one built upon the Rock (Luke
6:48-49). “The time to come” is the
Judgment Seat of Christ. This Scripture
confirms that eternal life is according to
works. (Titus 1:2 KJV) In hope of
eternal life, which God, that cannot lie,
promised before the world began;This Scripture
confirms that eternal life is something we hope
for. It is not certain as it depends upon
our good works that are done in the power of the
Spirit. (Titus 3:7 KJV) That being
justified by his grace, we should
be made heirs according to the hope of
eternal life. This Scripture
confirms that it is Christians (i.e., those
justified by his grace) that have the hope of
the inheritance, and the inheritance is the hope
of eternal life. As a Christian, we should
be made heirs, but we might not be made heirs if
we are disobedient. This Scripture
reiterates the fact that eternal life is a hope,
and not a certainty for the Christian. The
following Scripture also confirms that just
because we are heirs of God does not mean that
we will actually receive the inheritance: (Rom 8:16-18 KJV) (16) The Spirit
itself beareth witness with our spirit, that
we are the children of God: (17) And if
children, then heirs; heirs of God, and
joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we
suffer with him, that we may be also
glorified together. (18) For I reckon
that the sufferings of this present time are
not worthy to be compared with the glory which
shall be revealed in us. All Christians
are heirs of God, and we may be joint-heirs with
Christ, if we suffer with him. This
Scripture also confirms that Christians who
suffer with Christ may be also glorified with
him. It should be remembered from above
that being glorified with Christ is part of the
definition of receiving eternal life in Romans
2:7. The following
Scripture passage explains eternal life in
detail, but it must be read and studied in
context, since the summation verse 23 is used as
a proof text for spiritual rebirth. The
passage is actually addressed to Christians
exhorting them to be faithful, so they will
attain unto eternal life. The whole
passage will be addressed verse by verse in
order to follow through with the purpose of the
whole passage, which is to cause the ones being
addressed to crucify the old flesh nature and
allow Christ to live in them. If these
Christians are able to do this, then the end
result will be eternal life. If they are
not able to do this, then they will perish at
the Judgment Seat of Christ. (Rom 5:20 KJV) Moreover the law
entered, that the offense might abound. But
where sin abounded, grace did much more
abound: When God’s
moral precepts were given, transgression
increased since man was now violating the
law. He was doing the same thing before
the law was given, but there was no law to
violate. Example: A 15 year-old who
drove a car before a license was required was
not breaking the law. When the drivers
license law was made, the 15 year-old was then
transgressing the law. Grace is the
divine influence upon the heart and its
reflection in the life. When sin abounded,
God’s divine influence superabounded. (Rom 5:21 KJV) That as sin hath
reigned unto death, even so might grace reign
through righteousness unto eternal life by
(i.e., through) Jesus Christ our Lord.The reign of
sin in a person’s life leads unto death.
This is the death of the soul and not the body,
and it pertains to the Christian. That is
who Paul is addressing, so it would be foolish
for him to be warning them about something that
could not happen to them. Since sin in
the life of the Christian causes death of the
soul, Paul states that it is possible for the
divine influence of God to change this end
result of the death of the soul into
righteousness and eternal life. This comes
about through grace or the divine influence of
God on our life. This divine influence
causes us to live righteously, and we do this
through Jesus Christ who lives His life through
us. (Rom 6:1
KJV) What shall we say then? Shall we
continue in sin, that grace may abound? Should we
continue in sin so we can receive more divine
influence? Paul is asking a rhetorical
question to make a point. The following
verses address the point. (Rom 6:2
KJV) God forbid. How shall we, that
are dead to sin, live any longer therein? The answer to
Paul’s rhetorical question is absolutely not.
If we have died to our old natures, then how can
we continue in sin. It is the old nature
that causes us to sin. The new spirit
nature does not sin and cannot commit sin (1
John 3:9). (Rom 6:3 KJV) Know ye not, that
so many of us as were baptized into Jesus
Christ were baptized into his death? Paul is
addressing Christians, and he makes the point
that not all Christians have been baptized into
the death of Christ. Paul is talking about
the Christians who have repented, which water
baptism is a picture of this repentance or death
unto the old nature. Even though baptism
is an act that pictures our death unto the old
self, actually dying to the old self is an
hour-by-hour minute-by-minute continuous action
that we must perform. (Rom 6:4 KJV) Therefore we are
buried with him by baptism into death: that
like as Christ was raised up from the dead by
the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk
in newness of life.If we have died
to our old selves, and we were serious about
this death, then we should also walk in newness
of life. This walking in newness of life
is the salvation of the soul, and it is the
eternal life that this passage of Scripture is
addressing. The Greek word aionios zoe
(eternal life) is used twice in this passage in
Rom. 5:21 and Rom 6:22. (Rom 6:5 KJV) For if we
have been planted together in the likeness of
his death, we shall be also in the
likeness of his resurrection: Paul is saying
that if we have really died to the old self,
then our lives will reflect the life of Jesus
Christ. The “if” is very big since many
Christians do not crucify the old nature.
Crucifying the old nature is a lot of work, and
it is very painful. It requires suffering
on the part of the Christian. (Rom 6:6
KJV) Knowing this, that our old man is
crucified with him, that the body of sin
might be destroyed, that henceforth we
should not serve sin. Paul calls the
old nature the “old man” and he states that
crucifying the old man is able to destroy the
“body of sin.” The “body of sin” is that
which is in us (i.e., the old nature) that
causes us to sin. The Greek word for body
here means that which casts the shadow rather
than the shadow itself. In other words we
crucify the old man to destroy that which is in
us that causes us to sin. This is more
than just getting cleansed from our sin.
It means that we don’t sin when we have
crucified the old man. Of course, we still
sin since we are never 100% in crucifying the
old nature, but it is a progressive spiritual
growth where we sin less and less. The
ironic part of this is even though we sin less
and less, the more we have Christ living is us,
the more we will discern the depravity of the
old nature that lives within us, and we are
humbled more and more by this spiritual
growth. This is why the Christian who sees
himself as being a wonderful Christian is
probably not doing so well in his spiritual walk
with the Lord, and the Christian who agonizes
over his sin is probably very spiritual in his
walk with the Lord. (Rom 6:7 KJV) For he that is dead
is freed from sin.The Christian
who has died to his old nature is no longer a
slave to this old nature, and he is no longer
subject to doing what this old nature wants to
do. “He that is dead” would be the
Christian who has purposed in his heart to serve
the Lord with all of his heart, mind and
soul. He sins less and less as he grows
spiritually, and he constantly calls upon the
Lord to cleanse him from the sins that he does
commit. It is because of this continuous
cleansing action by the Lord that a Christian
can walk spotless and blameless before the
Lord. It is the attitude of the heart that
matters. (Rom 6:8 KJV) Now if we
be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall
also live with him: Paul states
here that if we have died to self, then we can
live a new life that is in union with Christ
(i.e., “live with him”). It is the same as
the following Scripture: (Col 1:27 KJV) To whom God would
make known what is the riches of the glory of
this mystery among the Gentiles; which is
Christ in you, the hope of glory:(Col 1:28 KJV) Whom we preach,
warning every man, and teaching every man in
all wisdom; that we may present every man
perfect in Christ Jesus:(Col 1:29 KJV) Whereunto I also
labour, striving according to his working,
which worketh in me mightily. Christ in us is
the hope of glory. This glory is the glory
received with the laying hold on eternal
life. All Christians are “in Christ,” but
not all Christians have “Christ in them.” (Rom 6:9 KJV) Knowing that Christ
being raised from the dead dieth no more;
death hath no more dominion over him. Paul is using
the analogy of Christ who has been raised from
the dead and he will die no more. If the
Christian has died to self and Christ lives in
him, then he will not perish or die at the
judgment seat of Christ. The analogy
pertains to the soul or life and not the spirit
that was regenerated in us when we were born
again spiritually. There is a big “if” in
the previous verse (Rom 6:8). The majority
of Christians do not die to the old self even
though they have been born again or regenerated
spiritually. (Rom 6:10
KJV) For in that he died, he died unto
sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth
unto God. This passage is
using Christ as an example to follow for the
Christians being addressed. It states that
Christ became sin and died, but now He lives,
and He lives as God. (Rom 6:11
KJV) Likewise reckon ye also
yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but
alive unto God through Jesus Christ our
Lord. These
Christians are told to do likewise. They
are to reckon, consider or judge themselves as
dead to their old sinful nature, and to live for
God by allowing Jesus Christ to live His life
through them. This is a work that these
Christians must do. It is not something
that happens automatically. (Rom 6:12
KJV) Let not sin therefore reign in
your mortal body, that ye should obey it in
the lusts thereof.These
Christians are exhorted not to let sin reign in
their bodies. He tells them not to yield
to the lusts in their bodies. Christians
are tempted by the same lusts that tempt the
unsaved person, but Christians do not have to
yield to these lusts. The unsaved person
has no choice. If sin could not reign in
these Christians lives, then Paul would not be
exhorting them to prevent it from happening.
(Rom 6:13 KJV) Neither yield ye
your members as instruments of unrighteousness
unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as
those that are alive from the dead, and your
members as instruments of righteousness unto
God. These
Christians are exhorted to not yield the members
of their bodies as instruments of
unrighteousness. Instead, they are to
yield their bodies unto God as instruments of
righteousness. A Christian has the choice
in this matter. He can either live a life
of unrighteousness or he can live a life of
righteousness. As a spiritually alive
individual, he can have power over sin, but he
must choose to exercise this power by crucifying
the old flesh nature, and allowing the new
spirit nature to take control. The person
who has not been spiritually regenerated does
not have the new spirit nature from God, and it
is impossible for him to live in righteousness.
(Rom 6:14
KJV) For sin shall not have dominion
over you: for ye are not under the law, but
under grace.The Christian
who has been spiritually regenerated under grace
does not have to be dominated by sin. The
law has been fulfilled by the death of Jesus in
atoning for sin, so the law has no control over
the Christian. (Rom 6:15 KJV) What then? shall
we sin, because we are not under the law, but
under grace? God forbid. Since the law
has been fulfilled by Jesus, does this give the
Christian the freedom to sin without
consequence. Absolutely not! The
following verse gives the consequence of sinning
by those Christians who have been born again
under grace. (Rom 6:16 KJV) Know ye not, that
to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey,
his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether
of sin unto death, or of obedience unto
righteousness? Paul is still
addressing Christians, and he states that if
these Christians yield themselves to sin, then
they are the servants of sin, and they will die
(i.e., perish). They may also choose to be
obedient unto righteousness, which also has a
consequence, which is eternal life or glory,
honor, and immortality (i.e., soul salvation).
(Rom 6:17
KJV) But God be thanked, that ye were
the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from
the heart that form of doctrine which was
delivered you.Paul is
thankful to God that these Christians he is
addressing were servants of sin, but they have
now “obeyed from the heart” the doctrine that
they had been taught. It is important to
note that these Christians had not only believed
in Jesus Christ, but they had become obedient to
Biblical doctrine. They cannot become obedient
to Biblical doctrine until they learn what
this doctrine is.A Christian must
study the Bible to become obedient to
it. Most Christians today do not
study their Bibles. They pick and choose
certain verses that pertain to faithful
Christians, and take them out of context to
apply them to all Christians.. For
example, most Christians take this passage of
Romans and say that all Christians have died to
self. This is simply not true. (Rom 6:18
KJV) Being then made free from sin, ye
became the servants of righteousness.By becoming
obedient to Biblical doctrine, these Christians
had been made free from sin, and had become
servants of righteousness. They had become
faithful Christians, by studying the Bible and
obeying it. This is confirmed as being the
method to save the soul in the following verse:
(James 1:21 KJV) Wherefore lay
apart all filthiness and superfluity of
naughtiness, and receive with meekness the
engrafted word, which is able to save your
souls.

(James 1:21 ASV 1901) Wherefore putting
away all filthiness and overflowing of
wickedness, receive with meekness the implanted
word, which is able to save your souls.(Rom 6:19 KJV) I speak after the
manner of men because of the infirmity of your
flesh: for as ye have yielded your members
servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto
iniquity; even so now yield your members
servants to righteousness unto holiness.Paul continues
to exhort them to yield themselves as servants
to righteousness just as they had yielded
themselves as servants to uncleanness and
iniquity unto iniquity. If they do this,
they will continue in righteousness unto
holiness or sanctification, or soul
salvation. If Christians could not yield
themselves to unrighteousness, then Paul would
not be warning them against doing it. (Rom 6:20 KJV) For when ye were
the servants of sin, ye were free from
righteousness. When they were
servants to sin, they had no
righteousness. This is true of numerous
Christians today. They have been born
again spiritually, but they are servants to
sin. They have not the righteousness
or righteous character that this passage is
addressing, and they are not progressing in
sanctification or holiness. They do have
the imputed righteousness of Christ, but the
practical righteousness in the life of the
Christian has not yet been realized. If
they continue without this practical
righteousness, they will perish at the judgment
seat of Christ, and the practical righteousness
will then be established in them by
Christ. Unfortunately, they will have lost
the glory, honor and immortality that define
eternal life. This is confirmed in verse
22 below. (Rom 6:21 KJV) What fruit had ye
then in those things whereof ye are now
ashamed? for the end of those things is death.Paul says that
when they were servants to sin, they did not
have any fruit. The fruit is in reference
to the fruit of the spirit. The end for
those Christians who are servants to sin is
death. This is the destruction or the
perishing of the soul that the Bible warns
Christians about. (Rom 6:22 KJV) But now being made
free from sin, and become servants to God, ye
have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting
life (i.e., eternal life).This verse
confirms that the Christian must not only
believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, but he must be
made free from sin by becoming servants of
God. This results in fruit bearing unto
holiness, and the end result is eternal life
(i.e., aiones
zoe or everlasting life). (Rom 6:23
KJV) For the wages of sin is death;
but the gift of God is eternal life through
Jesus Christ our Lord.

Paul
sums up the discourse by saying that the wages
of sin for the Christian is death (i.e.,
destruction or perishing), but the gift of God
is eternal life through Jesus Christ our
Lord. Thus, eternal life is realized by
the life of Jesus Christ living in the
Christian, who has yielded himself as a servant
of God. The Christian is spiritually saved
when he believes in the atoning death of Jesus
Christ. He attains unto eternal life by
the life of Christ. Our spirits are saved
by the death of Christ, but our souls are saved
by the life of Christ. Soul salvation and
eternal life are one and the same. Spirit
salvation is the same as the new birth
experience. Spirit salvation depends
strictly upon the grace of God. Soul
salvation depends upon the Christian’s life
after he is born again spiritually. Soul
salvation is a gift from God through His Son
Jesus Christ, but the Christian must lay hold
onto it by how he lives his life. Verse 23 is a
warning to Christians and not to the unsaved
as so many people think. Eternal life is
something that the Christian must lay hold
onto, and it does not happen automatically.